On parenthood: 7 months old

This month is louder, bigger and better! Everything in his little world is exciting, and it’s such a rewarding time to be his mama.

Daddy and I keep catching ourselves saying “he’s such a different baby,” as we’ve noticed big progress this past month. Friends warned us that six months is the turning point after which everything quickly starts happening – they were right!

Though early, we swear he can say mama! He consistently says it when he’s upset, or when he’s with daddy and is reaching for me!

He has mastered sitting, can maneuver to his tummy from sitting, and while on his tummy he now lifts his elbows in a baby Cobra pose. He is already showing signs of wanting to crawl – reaching, turning, scooting, and I caught him rolling from tummy to back a few times (though he still doesn’t roll intentionally or often – he’s just not a fan I suppose).

He is such a good cuddler, but he’s getting squirmy and likes to climb on us, throw his head back and go upside down. We learned the hard way to hold him tight because he hit his head for the first time leaning back into a countertop. Oh, the mom guilt was real when I saw his goose egg. I have been warned to get used to this as a boy mom!

He is so active and playful. He enjoys throwing things and emptying containers, and some of the best toys right now are mommy’s mixing bowls.

He loves his walker and has figured out that it moves! This is bad news for the dog, since he steers right into his paws. He hasn’t figured out how to nicely pet him yet, so he grips his fur and yanks it out. Werkley is incredibly patient but pretty much avoids the little man unless it’s nap time, at which point he sleeps by him – or dinner time, at which point he waits to lick his fingers.

Starting solids was hit or miss in the first two weeks as he was picky about texture, but now he is becoming quite the good eater. We are doing purees, and I bought a Little Foodie book that is making it fun to blend unique, flavorful purees at home for him. We did not end up doing baby-led weaning because, well, I chickened out at the thought of giving him finger foods from the get-go. But he loves being spoon-fed and will constantly take the spoon with his own hands to lick it clean.

He LOVES his morning oatmeal, bananas, sweet potato, and apples (with cinnamon). He most definitely does NOT like peas, and he’s indifferent to squash and avocado. The only veggie that he has taken to so far is green beans.

Perhaps most fun, he is able to express his moods much more clearly, and he has developed a new “nose scrunch” that he pairs with sad, angry and happy faces. It’s the cutest thing I’ve ever seen and I hope he keeps it. He also seems to like anything having to do with trains, as he giggles every time daddy goes “Choo, Choo!,” and his favorite song is “I’ve been working on the railroad.” It’s the only song that can stop a fussy spell in its tracks.

The next check-up isn’t until nine months, but our chunker is still topping the charts according to our home measurements weighing in at 22.5 pounds, 28 in. That, and the fact that he has outgrown most 12-month clothes and is now comfortably in 18-24 month for both tops and bottoms (though I have given up on pants because 18m pants are still too narrow and 24m are too long). Baby sweat pants for the win!